What is Design? A great video from the Design Council

Published | 12.16, 2nd of March 2010, by Chris van Aurich | Design

Came across this video while researching video integration for a current project, like the video and like Vimeo.

 

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Really useful programmes that are free.

Published | 10.26, 26th of February 2010, by Chris van Aurich | Random

I thought I would share some great programmes that cost you nothing, and trust me they are good enough for any task.

Browser: Firefox

Email: Thunderbird and add Lightning for calendar and tasks

Documents/Speadsheets: Open Office or Google Docs

I have chosen these tools because I like them and use them. Let me know if there are any others worth a look.

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Improve productivity, Increase sales, reduce costs, save time and money

Published | 14.41, 19th of February 2010, by Paul Butler | Business

Websites are a must-have for most commercial organisations nowadays. Most use their on-line presence as an on-line brochure. A first impression of the business, open 24/7 and usually backing up some form of alternative marketing activity. However, have you ever considered using your website for more than this? Do you hold stock of a product? Do you have staff working from home? Do you offer a product where ongoing customer support is required?

The Internet is a wonderful and very powerful tool. It can provide secure access from anywhere in the world at any time of the day or night, regardless of time zones. A well developed website can take these specific benefits, add calculations and formulas, that can then help a business manage stock control for instance. A website can become an integral part of the business process. Utilising a database, used within a Content Management System for example, a company can store personnel HR files, Sales Reports and Time sheets. It's not only corporate organisations that have an Intranet or Extranet. Small businesses (SMEs) can too.

In practical terms we have to work out how much money it would cost to build a web based solution, verses how much time an Internet based system will save you and your staff over a realistic period of time? The ROI (Return on Investment) needs to be accessed and we at Artlines Media can do this for you if necessary.

Start by looking at your existing website. Ask yourself how it could be used to improve other areas of the business. How could it save time and what new options could it give your clients? Ask your staff "What is the most time consuming element of your job/ role?" Then together we can work out the best way to save your time and your money by using your website more efficiently.

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CMS | Do I need Content Management or not?

Published | 13.45, 19th of February 2010, by Paul Butler | Business

We should all understand by now the importance of a good Content Management System. Handing the ability to change website text, images and on-line documents back to the site owner is an important factor when working on a new website project, but do all websites need to be managed in this way? The simple answer is no but then why is it more important to utilise Content Management functionality on some websites than others?

CMS or Content Management Systems provide a secure, simple and ultimately, a more cost effective way in which to keep your website information up to date and looking fresh. Search Engines also like websites to change once in a while. It encourages visitors to return on a regular basis, giving the website owner regular opportunities to up-sell, cross-sell, show new offers and generally keep his/her customers better informed. You have to give your visitors a reason for returning and updating content is a good way of doing this.

However, as with any CMS there is a cost implication. It takes more time to build a website that includes a database, a database which stores all of the content, than it does to develop a website without.

At Artlines Media we consult with the client to calculate whether it is more cost effective to pay more initially for CMS and then save over the longer term, than pay less for a static web presence at the start and pay on an ad-hoc basis for ongoing support from us. Personally I suggest that if you are only planning to update your content 2-4 times per year then do without CMS, keep your money in your pocket and we'll send an invoice for the ad-hoc work we do over the course of the year. Alternatively, if the client intends to update areas of the website more frequently such as within a news, blog or case study section, then CMS is the way to go from the start. To be clear, a Content Management System is definitely required for an e-commerce, gallery or catalogue style website. Also, changing a static non-CMS website to a dynamic CMS driven solution is like starting over. So it is important to get it right from the start. We wouldn't want you to pay a penny more than is absolutely necessary.

If you are planning a new website project and need help deciding whether you need CMS or not - give us a call on 01494 614 600. Better still, add a comment and we'll explain so everyone can see.

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SEO | Yahoo targets Next Generation Web Search

Published | 11.39, 11th of February 2010, by Paul Butler | SEO

Recent reports have said that partnering Bing has made a dent but have not killed off Yahoo. This is according to Yahoo's newbie Search Boss, Shashi Seth. They are still intent on making considerable gains within the Internet search market with new products aimed at what they are calling next generation search features. Although these new features are still under development they will focus on how we look at restaurants for instance on a Smartphone, using your finger to draw a circle on a map, plus short cuts to event information and most operations without requiring the use of a search bar.

However, research group comScore have confirmed a 3 point downward slide for Yahoo in the overall Search market share during the past year. Google still shows a clear lead with approximately 65% of all searches made and Microsoft's Bing has taken some of Yahoos percentage, rising to 11% whilst Yahoo drop 3 percentage points to 17% of the market share.

Personally, I see no reason to use anything other than Google. It offers everything I need. Then again I do not use a Smartphone. So entering keywords and phrases into a search bar is the primary way I search. Perhaps I will have to look again at which Internet Search I use after my next mobile upgrade.

Which do you prefer to use and more importantly, why? Please feel free to add your comment below.

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